phillips



Feb. 7, 1956 J. F. PHILLIPS 2,733,907

V TOBACCO CURING SYSTEM Filed April 15, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

BY JOSEPH F. PHILLIPS ATTORNEYS Feb. 7, 1956 J. F. PHILLIPS 2,733,907

TOBACCO CURING SYSTEM Filed April 15, 1950 s Sheets-Sheet 2 515 610 i ,,,M W A 28 IN 1 'EN TOR.

BY JOSEPH F. PHILLIPS Feb. 7, 1956 J. F. PHILLIPS 2,733,907

TOBACCO CURING SYSTEM Filed April 15, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 g Y 55 4g /4O IN V EN TOR.

BY JOSEPH E PHILLIPS ATTORNEYS for curing.

'United-stattis ntfO TOBACCO comm; SYSTEM Joseph F. Phillips, Springfield, Ohio, assignor to The Buckeye Incubator Company, Springfield, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application April 15, 1950, Serial No. 156,135

4 Claims. (Cl. 26319) This invention relates to the curing of tobacco and more particularly to heating systems for that purpose.

Different types of tobacco are harvested and cured in different ways and under different requirements as to maintenance of temperature, humidity and the like. Flue cured tobacco requires a substantial amount of heat 'while other types of tobacco such as burley, broad leaf, Havana, and so-called shade grown tobacco, require a lesser heat and of somewhat different characteristics. Shade grown tobacco is grown under the protection of a covering usually of muslin or the like and is harvested by being primed, that is, the leaf is taken off the stalk and strung on sticks similar to the way in which flue cured tobacco is handled. Broad leaf, Havana, burley and other similar tobacco is'usually cured on the'stalk, that is, the whole stalk is cut down in the field and placed in the barn The curing of these types of tobacco, is distinguished from flue cured tobacco in that provision is made for only a limited amount of heat, under conditions where the air is either too humid to pick up moisture from the tobacco, or where the temperature of the outside air is so low that it will not pick up moisture from the tobacco. To overcome such situations difierent methods of furnishing auxiliary heat have heretofore been used such as salamanders burning charcoal or coke, or in some cases open fires of coke or charcoal are burned on the dirt floor of the barn. It is usually found that it is necessary to furnish such auxiliary heat for only a relatively short time during the day, such as for only a few. hours.

The present invention is particularly adapted for the supplying of such auxiliary heat as may be found necessary or desirable in the curing of those types of tobacco other than flue cured tobacco, and will be described more in detail hereafter with particular reference to the curing of shade grown tobacco. This type of tobacco is grown both in the Southern parts of the United States and in another area in the Northern United States under generally similar conditions although there are some difierences in the typical barn and arrangements in the two areas. In both cases, however, it is the practice to arrange the barn so that a wagon, tractor, or truck can be driven into and through the barn, to deliver the tobacco to and. remove it from the barn following the drying operation.

The present invention is intended for ready application to both of these types of barns and is especially adapted for installation with a minimum of difliculty and expense.

It is the object of this invention to provide a heating system for use in tobacco curing barns that ,is practical and eflicient in operation and may beeasily installed in the barn with a minimum of interference with the usable space therein.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a heating system that is flexible and simple to install and readily lends itself to meet the requirements needed as to area and arrangements of barns to be heated as well as'available space.

may be driven.

. Patented Feb. 7, 1956 It is also an object to provide a heating system that requires only one or two more or less permanent common fuel supply lines running the length of the barn, having a single pressure regulator for each fuel line and a single fuel tank.

It is a still further object to provide a heating system that incorporates a multiplicity of gas heating units arranged and connected in staggered relationship to the fuel supply line or lines and positioned spaced apart in rows on opposite sidesof the fuel line.

An additional object is to provide heating units that are connected to the fuel lines by flexible lengths of hose to render them portable and movable within a given area without conflicting with adjacent rows of units thusallowing a more flexible arrangement of heaters to insure adequate and eflicient heating, the flexible connections also allowing the moving of. the heaters to clear the aisleways for free movement of tractors, wagons, etc.

It is also an object to provide heating units that incorporate individual positive on andolf control means for the heaters provided at the connecting Ts of the fuel line, to prevent modulating the flame thereof to a point where it would be possible for air currents from the ventilating means to extinguish the flames of the individual heaters. p 7

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, V

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic floor plan of a Southern type tobacco curing barn illustrating the-arrangement of the heating system;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the barn as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic floor plan of a Northern type tobacco curing barn illustrating the arrangement of the heating system;

. Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the barn as shown in Fig. 3; a

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of a preferred type of gas heater and illustrating its associated controls and connections;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view ofthe heater with certain parts broken away to more clearly illustrate construction;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of the heater taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detailed view in section of the flexible hose and associated connectors.

Referring to the drawing, a conventional type tobacco curing barn of the type common to the tobacco growing areas of the Southern part of the country is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The structure has sides 10 and ends 11, respectively, with an access door 12 at one or both ends of the structure. Two rows of supporting posts or columns 13 and 14 are provided within the barn, running longitudinally thereof, and resting upon sills or beams 15 which in turn are supported by concrete foundations or pillars 16. This supporting structure defines two storing areas 17 and 18 and a central area 19 which is used both for storing and as an aisleway through which a vehicle By referring to Fig. 2 it can be seen that the members 13 and 14 cooperate with the sides 10 to act as supporting means for the removable racks 20, from sure regulating device 28 connected thereto. The two fuel supply lines 27 are fastened to the sill or studding of the center supports 13 and 14, in the barn by hangers or other means .and spaced approximately 2 feet above the floor line. The placement of the lines in this manner is desirable in that it does not involve the burying of the lines and they are not in the way of vehicles passing down the center aisleway 19, and a further advantage being that they are more readily available for servicing or replacement, and in addition are positioned in a location that makes it more convenient to connect or disconnect the fuel supply lines to the heaters.

The supply lines 27 carry a series of spaced apart connecting Ts 29. A control valve is shown in Figs. 5 and 7 at the valve being a positive on or off type with a control handle 31 pivotally pinned to the spring actuated valve stem 32 yieldably urged toward closed position. The handle is pivotally mounted upon a bracket 33, attached to the valve body, and carries a pivoted lock member 34 to hold the valve in open position. Valves 30 are attached to the connecting Ts in the pattern shown in Fig. 1 by means of an adapter. A flexible hose 35 of neoprene or other suitable material, such as metallic flexible tubing, the length of the hose depending upon requirements of installation, is connected to valve 30 by means of a swivel connection 36 shown in detail in Fig. 8. .A female connector 37 having a flange 38 is carried by a nipple member 39, one end of which has an enlarged headed portion 40 to receive the connector 37 for rotation thereon. The other end of the nipple 38 is serrated and is fitted within the end of the flexible hose 35 and a suitable clamp member 42 is provided to secure the hose to the nipple member. A gasket 43 is provided within the connector and seating against the headed portion 40 to insure a leakproof connection to valve 30. The opposite end of the hose is attached to a nipple member 45 having an integral male connector 48 thereon. The serrated end is positioned within the end of the hose and held thereto by means of clamp member 49. Connector 48 is attached to a coupler 50 carried by a short length of pipe 52 having a coupler 53 at its opposite end which carries a fuel jet 55. The assembly as described is attached to the burner body 58 of the heater assembly shown generally at 60.

The heater unit 60 is of the gas burning type and is comprised of burner body 58 having a pair of air intake apertures 62 and 64 provided at the intake end. A cooperating double mixer air shutter 65 is rotatably mounted over the intake end of the burner, the rotation and maximum adjustments thereof limited by a stop screw 66. The enlarged annular portion 67 of the burner body has integral tapped bosses 68 to receive thefastening screws 69 by means of which the burner cap 70 is attached to the burner body. Burner cap 70 has a plurality of notches or ports 72 spaced radially about the lower face of the peripheral flange of the burner cap.

The burner assembly is fastened, by means of screws 73, and threaded bosses 74 provided in the burner cap to the lower flattened area 75 of deflector 77. Deflector 77 is made of heat resisting sheet metal and is annular in form, the Walls of which taper upwardly and then outwardly having a radius 78 terminating in a flange portion 79. Deflector 77 is attached to, and spaced from, an annularly shaped canopy 80 by means of spacers 82 and bolts 83. The canopy 80 in turn carries, by means of bolts, three legs 85, formed of metal strap stock. In addition the canopy is provided with a centrally located handle or ring 86 by which the heater assembly may be conveniently transported or stored.

The design of the heater is such that the hot products of combustion are directed radially and outwardly by the deflector 77 to increase the area of the heat distributing zone. This means is accomplished to a still greater advantage 'by the increased diameter of the canOPY 80, as comparedto the diameter of the deflector thus causing the heated air to be directed and distributed to a greater area where it then flows in an upward direction. As shown in Figs. 5 and 7, the canopy or top plate 80 is of such larger diameter than the upper periphery of the deflector 77, and is spaced at such distance above the deflector, that the projected path of the upward flow of the hot gases along the lower surface of thedeflector will approximately coincide with the periphery of the plate 80. In addition, since this plate 80 is essentially flat and free from depending flange portions capable of trapping the hot gases therebelow, it promotes the outward flow of these gases and free circulation through the space between itself and the deflector in such manner as to maintain its upper surface at a substantially lower temperature than the deflector which will not lead to a dangerous fire hazard in case some of the tobacco leaves should drop onto it. In addition, the heater is compact in design and requires an area of little over two feet in diameter, as well as being light in weight and hence readily portable from one place to another.

Referring to Fig. 1 it can be seen that the heating units 60 are arranged throughout the barn in rows, three such rows being shown, and spaced uniformly, or otherwise if need be, the installation including 45 such units in a typical barn. As before pointed out this is an illustration of a Southern type barn and makes use of two supply lines to adequately arrange the heaters to the best advantage.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a barn of the type generally used in the Northern tobacco growing areas and is constructed with a single centrally located supporting member 90 that defines two storage areas 91-92 on either side thus eliminating a center aisle as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A single fuel supply line 95 used in this type of barn mainly because the width of the barn being somewhat narrower, the Northern barn being usually approximately 31 feet wide. The connections are made from this single line in alternating relation toward opposite sides of the barn.

From the above it can be readily understood that the number of heaters to be used and the placement thereof is determined by a number of factors, namely, the type and size of tobacco curing barn, climatic conditions of a particular tobacco growing area, the nature of the tobacco, kind of treatment or results desired, length of heating periods, and other such factors. Advantages of the heating system illustrated and described are apparent in that the flexibility of such an installation is quite desirable. The installation requires a minimum amount of labor and space in addition to relatively simple and uncomplicated equipment. A still further advantage is apparent in that the heaters are not confined to any given area but may be moved to advantageous positions, limited only by the length of the flexible fuel supply hose, to accomplish an even and eflicient distribution of heat over the entire barn or structure. In addition to the portable aspect is the fact that the heaters may be moved to one side and placed in the line of the columns to facilitate entrance of vehicles or equipment. Also it is possible to move the heaters from one barn to another thus further increasing the utility of the heating system as described.

While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A heating system for curing tobacco in a tobacco barn which is relatively long and narrow with at least one series of supports extending lengthwise of the barn above the floor level thereof and in which there is a provision for supporting the tobacco in racks above the floor of the barn comprising a gas supply header adapted to extend lengthwise of the barn and carried on said supports in elevated position with respect to said barn floor level, individual gas lines for connection to said header and extending outwardly thereof on opposite sides thereof, control valves in each of said gas lines, said control valves being connected substantially directly to said header for support thereby in elevated position for ready manual operation, a plurality of portable gas burners mounted on legs above the floor and having deflectors for deflecting the hot gases in distributed relation into the at mosphere within the barn, and a flexible hose for con meeting each gas burner with one of said valve controlled gas lines.

2. A heating system for curing tobacco in a tobacco barn which is relatively long and narrow with at least one series of supports extending lengthwise of the barn leaving an aisleway through the barn for passage of a vehicle and in which there is provision for supporting the tobacco in racks above the floor of the barn comprising a gas supply header adapted to extend lengthwise of the barn and carried on said supports above the floor level and at one side of and in non-interfering relation with said aisleway, individual gas lines for connection to said header and extending outwardly thereof on opposite sides thereof, control valves in each of said gas lines, said control valves being connected substantially directly to said header for support thereby in elevated position for ready manual operation, a plurality of portable gas burners mounted on legs above the floor and having deflectors for deflecting the hot gases in distributed relation into the atmosphere within the barn, and a flexible hose for connecting each gas burner with one of said valve controlled gas lines.

3. A gas burner unit of the character described for heating the interior of a tobacco barn to cure tobacco, comprising a gas burner body adapted at the lower end thereof for connection to a gas supply and having a series of outlets around the upper end thereof for radially discharging gaseous fuel for combustion, a deflector plate secured to said burner body above said outlets, said deflector plate being of substantially greater diameter than said burner body to deflect outwardly the rising hot gases impinging thereon from said outlets, a generally flat top plate overlying said deflector plate, spacer means connecting said plates and proportioned to support said top plate spaced vertically above said deflector plate by a substantial distance establishing an air space of corresponding vertical extent between said plates and to minimize direct transfer of heat between said plates, said top plate being free from depending flange portions capable of trapping said hot gases within said space to promote outward flow of said hot gases and free circulation through said space in order to maintain said top plate at a materially lower temperature than said deflector plate minimizing fire hazards from tobacco leaves dropping on said top plate, said top plate being of materially greater diameter than said deflector plate to shield dropping leaves from said deflector plate and to eflect further radial deflection of the hot gases flowing upwardly thereto from the periphery of said deflector plate, and

grease? a plurality of supporting legs depending from one of said plates for supporting said burner unit in elevated position above the floor level.

4. A gas burner unit of the character described for heating the interior of a tobacco barn to cure tobacco, comprising a gas burner body adapted at the lower end thereof for connection to a gas supply and having a series of outlets around the upper end thereof for radially discharging gaseous fuel for combustion, a deflector plate of inverted generally conical shape secured to said burner body above said outlets, said deflector plate being of substantially greater diameter than said burner body and being proportioned to flare outwardly and upwardly with respect to said burner body to cause corresponding outward and upward deflection of the hot gases impinging thereon from said outlets, a generally fiat top plate overlying said deflector plate, spacer means connecting said plates and proportioned to support said top plate spaced vertically above said deflector plate by a substantial distance establishing an air space of corresponding vertical extent between said plates and to minimize direct transfer of heat between said plates, said top plate being free from depending flange portions capable of trapping said hot gases within said space to promote outward flow of said hot gases and free circulation through said space in order to maintain said top plate at a materially lower temperature than said deflector plate minimizing fire hazards from tobacco leaves dropping on said top plate, said top plate being of materially greater diameter than said deflector plate to shield dropping leaves from said deflector plate and to eifect further radial deflection of the hot gases flowing upwardly thereto along said deflector plate, the diameter and spacing of said top plate being such with relation to said deflector plate that the projected path of said hot gases will approximately coincide with the periphery of said plate, and a plurality of supporting legs depending from one of said plates for supporting said burner unit in elevated position above the floor level.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 411,649 Doty Sept. 24, 1889 910,345 Akin Jan. 19, 1909 1,309,000 Townsend et al July 8, 1919 1,469,648 Shupe Oct. 2, 1923 1,595,638 Beard Aug. 10, 1926 1,640,248 Pepin Aug. 23, 1927 1,667,512 Cruikshank Apr. 24, 1928 2,124,074 Mayo July 19, 1938 2,130,086 Hart Sept. 13, 1938 2,181,138 Landis Nov. 28, 1939 2,223,696 Mayo Dec. 3, 1940 2,273,284 Plott et a1. Feb. 17, 1942 2,472,534 Home June 7, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 10 Great Britain of 1909 

